Method of mounting gems



(No'ModeL) B. ANGELL.

' Method of Mounting-Gems.

No. 237,669. Patented Feb. 15,1881.

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WITNESSES. "jINVENTOFi.

Beru'amin d.An qe.lL MM %@5w@- M.

N. PETERS, PMOTQUTQOGRAPNER, WASHINGTON. U. 0.

UNITED. STATES- PATENT. OFFICE.

BENJAMIN J. ANGELL, OF ATTLEBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS.

METHOD OF MOUNTING GEMS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 237,669, dated February15, 1881.

Application filed May 25, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, BENJAMIN J. ANGELL, of Attleborough, in the countyof Bristol and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and ImprovedMethod of Mounting Gems; and I do hereby declare that the followingspecification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings,forming a part of the same, is a full, clear, and exact descriptionthereof.

My invention relates to the mounting of a stone in asetting or shell ofmetal for the face of a button, stud, or other article; and it consistsin preparing the metal shell or setting, as hereinafter described, andforcing the stone into the same, so that the said setting will exactlyfit the stone.

The object of my invention isto mount stones economically and in such amanner that the settings will fit the stones, regardless of slightvariations in thelatter, and also in such a manner that no substancewill need to be interposed between the stone and the back member to holdthe former in place.

My improved method is adapted to mounting real or imitation stones ofrectangular, circular, oval, or other shape; but for the purpose ofillustrating my invention I have chosen a rectangular stone having aflat face.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows, in perspective,a .metal shell or setting. Fig. 2 represents, in perspective, a stoneadapted to be mounted in said shell. Fig. 3 shows, in vertical section,the stone and setting in position tobe combined. Fig. atrepresents, insection,the relative positions of the stone and setting after they arecombined. Fig. 5 shows a top view of the mounted stone and its setting.Fig. 6 represents, in perspective, a metal back member adapted tocombine with the metal shell or setting and retain the stone inposition; and Fig. 7 represents, in section, the stone, setting, andback member combined.

The'method heretofore usually employed in mounting stones has been toprovide the face of the shell in which the stone is to be set with anopening or perforation of the size required to admit and exhibit, to adesired extent, stones of a definite shape and size, then to insert thestone by hand and secure it in position by a back member. This methodhas been unsatisfactory, and at times comparatively expensive, for thefollowing reasons: Stones of a definite size and style, as they comefrom the lapidary, vary slightly in shape, area, and thickness, and areoften unequally and unevenly ground. A definite size andregularly-shaped opening in the shell, therefore, will exactly fit astone in but few instances. If a stone is a trifle large for the openingin the shell, or is unevenly dressed, the shell has to be cut or filedor the stone ground off; and if a stone is too small to perfectly fitthe perforation in the shell, or is unevenly ground, a space will beleft between some portion of the shell and stone, thereby producing anunsightly appearance. Variations in the area of regularly-shaped stonescause them to protrude unequally from the setting, and a variation inthickness, area, or shape often necessitates the interposition of paperor other substance between the stone and back member, in order that theformer shall be tightly held in position. In mounting stones by thecommon method, therefore, a desirable appearance is not usuallyobtained, and more or less fitting and papering are required to be done.

Myimproved method of mounting stones obviates these objectionablefeatures and secures in each instance a desirable appearance and asecurely-mounted stone.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the metal shell or setting,which has been swaged into shape and perforated by properly-formedtools, and B is a stone adapted to be mounted in said shell. The area ofthe perforation a in the shell A is less than the area of the stone B ina plane (at m, Fig. 4) passing through the points of contact between theedges a of the perforation and the sides b of the stone after it hasbeen fully set. 0 is a back member, adapted to be combined with theshell and stone to hold the latter in place after it is mounted.

The operation of mounting is preferably performed in a press having adie suited to receive and hold the shell or setting and a followeradapted to force the stone and back member into said shell, the saidoperation being substantially as follows: The shell A is placed in thedie of the press, the stone B is placed in the shell, the two partsoccupying relative positions about as shown in Fi 3, and the back member0 is placed upon the stone. The follower of the press is now made todescend and force the stone and back member into the shell, the saidparts, when combined, occupying relative positions about as shown inFig. 7. By this operation the perforation a is expanded and its edges aare made to assume the contour of the stone and fit the same exactly, asshown in Fig. 5, while the rim 0 of the back member 0 comes into contactwith the rim of the shell, and the stone is held in position. In orderto avoid thepossibility of a separation of the parts after they arecombined, the whole, or a portion of the outer surface of the rim 0 ofthe back member O or the inner surface of the rim of the shell may becoated with solder and acid, or equivalent material, before the saidback member is forced into the shell, and the parts be secured by heatafter the mounting.

Although, as shown in Fig. l, the edges (0 of the shell are unbroken,yet they may be wholly or partially serrated, if desired, it only beingnecessary that the distance bet-ween the projecting points of suchserrated edges before the stone is mounted be less than the area of thestone in a plane passing through said points after the stone is fullymounted.

Although I prefer to combine the stone and back member with the shell atone operation, I am aware that the stone may be forced into the shelland the back member afterward be combined therewith.

Having described myinvention,whatIclaim, and desire to secure by LettersPatent, is

1. The improved method herein described of combining a stone with asetting having a continuous rim and a perforated face, which consists ininserting the stone from the back of the setting and forcing said stoneinto the perforated face of said setting, thereby expandin g theperforation and causing the setting to fit the stone, substantially asset forth.

2. The improved method herein described of mounting a stone in itssetting, which consists in forcing the stone and a back member into ashell or setting adapted to said parts, as described, whereby theperforated face of the setting is expanded and made to fit the stone,and said stone is held in position, substantially as set forth.

3. The improved method herein described of mounting and securing a stonein its setting, which consists in providing the rim ofthe setting or theback member with soldering material, then forcing the stone and backmember into the setting, as described, and heating the setting and backmember to unite them, substantially as set forth.

BENJAMIN J. ANGELL.

Witnesses:

EDsoN SALISBURY JONES, WM. A. (JADY.

